1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an applicator tool for applying multi-terminal electrical connectors to multi-conductor flat electrical cable and in particular to an applicator which will apply connectors having a plurality of closely spaced insulation piercing terminals onto flat cable having a like plurality of closely spaced insulated conductors.
2. Prior Art
The present invention is intended for use in applying connectors of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,055 onto multi-conductor flat cables. Heretofore, connectors of this type have been applied in the manner shown in FIG. 7 of the noted patent. However, these previous techniques for applying connectors have had certain drawbacks in that they were rather slow in first applying the connector and then the cover. They were also open to error in placement of the cable and they could not be readily shifted to accommodate various width cables and sizes of connectors.
A subsequent development was the applicator tool shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,540. This tool solved many of the problems inherent in the method disclosed in the first mentioned patent, but still required a two-step assembly. The subject tool was intended for use with the improved version of the above noted electrical connector as described in U.S. patent application No. 555,655 filed July 9, 1979, now abandoned in favor of application Ser. No. 6/200,743 filed Oct. 27, 1980 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,257.